5 Ways to Find Inspiration for Tech Design

December 11, 2015

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MANY different schools of thought influence designers, much like how several different food ingredients can mix together to form a new recipe. Design is both an art and science and is by no means a narrowly-defined set of universal standards that apply to all industries. Rather, it is more of an ever-changing dynamic that reflects both aesthetics and functionality. Here are a few ideas to generate design inspiration that can spark innovation.

Brainstorm for new ideas.

Collaboration has become a major key to generating new ideas in the new century. Not only can new ideas emerge from a team of design experts, it’s possible to manifest useful suggestions from people outside of professional design circles. After all, products are meant for consumers and it doesn’t take an expert to contribute to design inspiration for products that solve needs. Everyone has both needs and the power to imagine how needs can be met.

Consider a minimalist approach.

Minimalism is a design approach that seems to come and go in trends, but the truth is, it’s been the key to certain design paradigms as a continuum for many decades. The nature of effective eye-catching logos, for example, has consistently centered on minimalism for over a century. The logos for the top brands of over a hundred years ago were just as simple then as they are for today’s top brands. When it comes to technology, the pattern over time has moved away from standardization toward customization. In order for a product to be customizable, its flexibility needs to be based on bare essentials, while consumers choose add-ons for themselves.

Absorb geometry and colors.

Geometry is a fascinating field because it bridges the mathematics of science with the appreciation of art. When you study geometry, you are naturally using both sides of your brain, much the way music is logical and emotional. By studying various shapes that occur in both the physical universe and the abstract imagination, you will be able to view things from different perspectives, as angles and 3D perceptions can provide all kinds of design inspiration. Studying colors can also enhance your creativity, since color represents a mix of light frequencies and conceptual beauty. Also Read : AI designed graphic patterns

Stay connected with art and youthful energy.

Art is often dismissed in the business world as the opposite of commercialism. This major fallacy, luckily has been diminishing thanks to modern businesses that have applied creative outside-the-box thinking to their marketing. The era of rigidly structured, one-size-fits-all designs is ending as society transcends toward diversity, niches and individualism. Design inspiration can be felt when experiencing all forms of art that free the mind from formulas and traditional thinking.

Many people are most imaginative in their youth, but that doesn’t mean people naturally lose creativity as they age. What happens is the more individuals age, the more they learn to conform to a standardized, “business as usual” mentality that blocks creativity and treats it as outside the norm, leading to stagnation. By embracing visionary art that challenges norms, you will feel the energy of fresh ideas.

Envision how the future will solve today’s problems.

Two components of design that allow for quick change are fluidity and adaptability. These features open the door for experimentation that can lead to innovative solutions never been tried before. When you think like a futuristic science fiction writer, you are actually following Einstein’s path, in which imagination is transformed into practical ideas. Sometimes great inventions come from wild fantasies.